The one or two-year Vascular Neurology fellowship is directed by Dr. Amrou Sarraj. The fellowship program focuses on the development of the clinician scientist who will dedicate their careers to investigating the pathophysiology and epidemiology of cerebrovascular disease and the application of this knowledge to therapeutic advances.

Neurovascular Fellowship Overview

The University of Texas Medical School in Houston (UTHealth) offers both one and two year fellowships and has a total of 7 fellows. Our fellowship seeks to develop neurologists to become clinician-scientists in cerebrovascular disease. We stress first rate training in clinical stroke care and conducting rigorously designed research. The first year is ACGME accredited and has the following rotations: the stroke inpatient service, stroke consults and triage in the emergency department, neuro-sononology, neuro-ICU, neuroradiology, neuro-rehab, and research. In the second year, fellows rotate on the inpatient and consult services and participate in telemedicine. The rest of the second year is devoted to conducting research and focusing on developing a specific research niche which will position fellows to become competitive candidates for grants and academic careers.

We cover the entire spectrum of stroke clinical trials, and have a rich history of testing new therapies for acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. In addition, our stroke program director, Dr. Savitz, has been building a large stroke recovery program testing stem cell therapies.

Program Highlights

30 year history of training leaders in the stroke field

Long track record of fellows conducting cutting edge research on new therapeutic approaches for stroke

A range of Journal Clubs on clinical stroke studies and translational animal studies of new therapeutic approaches

Opportunities to pursue basic science research

Focus on developing translational therapies for stroke

Opportunities to pursue Masters in Clinical Research (3 Faculty are recent graduates)

Outpatient clinic located on-site

Mobile Stroke Unit (First of its kind in the United States)

Program Culture

UTHealth is part of the Texas Medical Center which is the largest medical complex in the world. We partner with Memorial Hermann Hospital, the only joint commission certified comprehensive stroke center and which has extensive clinical resources.

The stroke service is a standalone service that cares for all stroke patients in the hospital (average daily census 15-20, average daily admissions 3-4), staffed at all times by one attending, one vascular neurology resident, two or three neurology residents, and one family practice resident on a rotating basis.

12 bed dedicated Stroke Unit.

Dedicated 32 bed Neurology-Neurosurgery ICU

8 bed Intermediate Care Unit

Dedicated Neurology general floor

The hospital Emergency Department (ED) is one of the city’s two level one trauma centers and almost 10-20% of all stroke patients in the city of Houston are seen in the Hermann ED
State of the art neuroimaging facilities including spiral CT in the ED, plus 4 MRI scanners adjacent to the ED

Two angiography suites with endovascular capability, and state of the art carotid and trans-cranial Doppler ultrasound, all available 24 hours per day.

In-patient neuro-rehabilitation floor adjacent to the stroke unit

The Stroke Unit is the center of the in-patient activities and includes a PACS unit for remote viewing of all radiological studies, and computerized access for all laboratory values.

Outpatient clinics are staffed by the vascular neurology faculty and residents in the U.T. Professional Building across the street from the hospital and medical school (connected by a pedestrian bridge). It includes an outpatient rehabilitation facility.

Strong emphasis on patient care, research, and team structure

Where do our graduates go?

Our stroke fellowship is one of the oldest in the country where the trainees are the backbone of the entire stroke program.

Our graduates are the leaders in the field of vascular neurology. Graduates include:
Lewis Morgenstern, MD
Director, Stroke Program
University of Michigan

Requirements and Eligibility

To apply for the fellowship, the applicant must be eligible for and possess a Texas Medical License or Physician in Training Permit on the start date of the fellowship. Applicants must have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited program in neurology, child neurology, neurodevelopment disabilities or a similar program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted from December 1 through March 1. All available positions will be offered through the NRMP match.